Word origin · etymology
Descriptive mathematical compound.
Node names the orbital crossing and relative means referenced to it; frame names the coordinate convention used for the comparison.
How we know · epistemology
Coordinate convention with symbolic interpretation
Subtracting the same node longitude preserves angular separations. Mean and true nodes give different offsets. Claims about underlying motivations belong to the interpretive method; the rotation does not measure a soul or past life.
Connected concepts
Terms used in this explanation
These links connect subjects and terminology. They do not establish a shared historical origin.
Sources & provenance
Use the citations beside each section to distinguish a calculation convention, a historical teaching and an editorial example.